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Ui tH b OAKVILLE BfcAVhK Wednesday, March 14. 2001 Help fightjuvenile arthritis March is Juvenile Arthritis Month. Juvenile arthritis affects approxi mately one in 1,000 Canadian chil dren under the age of 16. Children with this condition often experience pain, stiffness and swelling in one or more joints, slowed growth, reduced vision due to eye inflammation and in more severe cases, swollen lymph glands and enlarged liver and spleen. Juvenile arthritis is akin to a roller coaster ride, because it is character ized by frequent flare-ups and remis sions. The disease can last anywhere from just a few months to a lifetime. Currently, there is no cure for the condition, but there is much that can be done to manage it. About 40 years ago, a child with arthritis was often confined to a wheelchair. Today, it's possible for arthritic children to lead healthy and active lives. Combinations of medication, surgery, exercise and lifestyle changes are used to reduce the joint inflammation caused by juvenile arthritis. Over 40 local schools and busi nesses have already committed to take part in The Arthritis Society's annual Joint Effort Day in support of juvenile arthritis. Participants raise money and awareness by taking coin boxes and holding events such as dress-down days, bake sales and fundraising activities. "Juvenile arthritis has a devastat ing effect upon the children who encounter this disease," said Arthur Peters, senior development associate at The Arthritis Society. "Our fundraising efforts here in the HaltonPeel office will support the treatment and research for a cure for juvenile arthritis." Any organizations wanting to par ticipate in Joint Effort Day are encouraged to phone The Arthritis Society at 905-455-6273 for more information. Events can be held on any day in the month of March and The Society provides all fhe neces sary information and materials. Photo by Erin Riley Jordan Hobbs and Ilanna Steinberg get ready for the costume parade as part of the Queen Esther celebration at the Shaarei Beth-El Synagogue last Thursday. Queen Esther was instru mental is saving the Jews from destruction by the evil Hainan in the city of Sushan in ancient Persia. This celebration is held by Jews around the world. QUEEN ESTHER CELEBRATION: n* Eating out tonight? Make a smart choice. Foster families needed for Lions Foundation The Lions Foundation of Canada urgently needs volunteer foster families for their puppies. The Lions Foundation is a non-profit, charitable Canadian School that trains dog guides for the blind (Canine Vision Canada), the deaf (Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada) and those living with physical and medical disabilities (Special Skills Dogs of Canada). When the foundation's puppies are eight weeks of age the go live in foster horries until they are about a year old. The foster families are volunteers who pro vide homes for the puppies, and teach them proper house manners and basic obedience. The puppies are socialized by exposing them to many different situations, experiences and people. Ralston Purina Canada Inc. donates food for the puppies and the foundation covers routine medical and veterinary expenses. Regular assessments evaluate the progress of the puppies until they are about a year old when they are recalled for training, and assigned to one of the three Dog Guide programs. Upon successful graduation of the training pro gram, the foster families are invited to the graduation of the Dog Guide Team, and given a photograph of the graduating team. To join the Foster Puppy Program contact the Lions Foundation of Canada at (905) 842-2891 or 1-800768-3030. For healthy choices, food safety and more non-smoking seating choose one o f these Halton E at Smart! restaurants the next time you dine out! H alton' s Eat Smart! Restaurants 905-878-8858 905-632^9779 905-877-1923 905-333-6999 905-842-6112 519-853-5531 905-873-6568 0100% Smoke-free 4i Barrier-free access Thai Satay & More 9 A , 187 Cross Avenue. Oakv ille The Harrop Restaurant 345 Steeles Avenue, Milton TimBri Tea House 9 A 40 Eastern Avenue, Acton Turtle Jack's A t 4155 Fairview Street, Burlington Williams Coffee Pub 9 ds 2070 Appleby Line, Burlington World Bistro 9 A . 67 Bronte Road, Oakville 905-338-7934 905-878-8161 519-853-5231 905-633-9464 905-319-0968 905-465-2668 Benny's Famous Deli 295 Main Street, Milton Cafe Cantina A 1455 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington Canneberges Restaurant ® 126 Main Street, Georgetown Pepperwood Bistro A . 1455 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington Ruby's Vegetarian Vegan Restaurant 325 Kerr Street, Oakville 0 6> Subway Acton ® A . 10 B Main Street, Acton Subway Sandwiches & Salads ® A , 5 Mountainview N, Georgetown O n the date o f inspection for the E at Smart! award, all restaurants listed in this guide met all required criteria for nutrition, food safety and non-sinoking seating. For good health, great taste and convenience when dining out look for the Eat Smart! symbol. Smart! E o ffi © Ontario' s Healthy R esejam Program Halton Region Health Department 905-825-6060 ext 7802 Toll free: 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866) To find a complete listing of Halton's Eat Smart! restaurants or for more information about Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant program visit: www.choices4heaIth.org/eatsmart.htm or www.eatsmart.web.net ...LIKE A GIRL. CO CO People's Republic of China Mississauga Ice Bears Sat., March 17 · 11:30 a.m. at River Oaks Arena O ~o c Mercedes-Benz Meray Motors & Collision Ltd. TEACHING LIFE SKILLS · SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE l \ SPORTS WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN THE BANK SAYS NO? Homeowners' m ortgage needs have changed over the years and financial institutions have not kept up with these c h a n g e s, says C a ro l Christopherson of SpectrumCanada Mortgage Services Inc. According to Christopherson, Banks and Credit Unions turn down anywhere from 20-40% of their mortgage applications. "It's undoubtedly a challenge for them because it weakens their relationship with their client and opens up the possibility of losing their other business such as RRSPs, etc.," she says. "From the banks point of view it's a necessary evil. Obviously they must meet strict underwriting guidelines in order to meet some of the Bank Act requirements, CMHC guidelines and of course to maintain the performance of their mortgage portfolio. But where does that leave the 20-40% of us that are getting turned down and why is that number so high? There are several reasons why that number is so high. ·Anyone who has had recent credit challenges is going to have a problem ·Carrying credit card debt (and 46% of us do) reduces the amount you can borrow ·Being self-employed - and m ore C anadians are self employed than ever before makes it difficult to prove income in the way the banks need to see it ·With house prices having increased substantially in the last 10 years and after tax incomes having averaged only a 5% increase in the same time frame, we need to borrow larger amounts than the banks have traditionally been able to lend. All that adds up to a lot of people trying to either make do without the funds they need or trying to find other lenders to h e lp . T h a t's w h e re Christopherson's company comes in. Spectrum-Canada Mortgage Services has been established to help homeowners find the financing they need based on the realities of today's market. "The first place people go when they want a mortgage is their own financial institution. If they get turned down it can be confusing to know where to go next. Our company does that for them. We may charge a fee or we may get paid by the lender, either way our job is to make sure they get what they need". (In fact the company is also in discussion with local financial institutions to provide this service to their clients). So don't give up if you've been unable to obtain the mortgage financing from your Bank or Credit Union. There are other lenders that can help you. For more information, Carol Christopherson can be reached at 1-866-378-6615